Like so many Jewish communities, Milwaukee is experiencing a population and identity shift. Milwaukee Jews are no longer living in one or two demographic loci.
Increasingly, Jews are expressing their identity in ways other than institutional affiliation and traditional practice. For those of us who work in the organized Jewish community, we have to be prepared to listen in a way that we have not had to do for generations.
Today, Jews are living in every place in this metropolitan area, in multi-cultural and multi-faith families, in a multitude of family configurations and with varying sexual orientations. Jews are calling out from every walk of life. Can we hear them say, “Hineni” (“Here I am”)?
Others have touched on the difference between the word “hineni” and a more general acknowledgment of one’s presence. Hineni not only means “I am here,” it means “I am ready to perform a holy task.”
In the age of the prophets, “performing a holy task” meant following God’s literal word. As Jews started this 2,500 year old journey of living in Diaspora, our holy task has been keeping Judaism alive so that it may be passed from generation to generation.
In today’s world of assimilation and technological transformation, the holy taskforce is a more diverse group, but I believe no less committed to this holy task of continuity. Commitment may no longer be synonymous with affiliation, automated philanthropy or traditional ritual observance, but I believe it is there.
As a rabbi, a teacher of Jewish tradition, it is my responsibility to listen to the needs of our students. What can I do to help those who say “hineni” find expression for their commitment in a way that is authentic for them?
In writing this piece, I invite anyone who is interested to listen with me, to reach out with me, and, for those of you whose “hineni” has not been heard, to share with me how can we build community that is inclusive of and meaningful for all.
Rabbi Hannah Greenstein is community outreach specialist for the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
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